Ashley Hunter
ECB Publishing, Inc.
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office received a special visitor on Wednesday, March 20.
Monticello's Young Miss Florida contestant Arianna Brown.
During her visit, Brown met with Sheriff Mac McNeill and various other members of the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office (JCSO), including Victim Advocate Marie Rigdon.
But for Arianna Brown, this was not a social call, but the first stop in a future series of kindhearted donations and drives that will benefit law enforcement and first responser agencies.
“I want to give something to children who are facing difficult times, in order to make their day a little better,” said Brown before presenting a gift to Sheriff McNeill.
A large packing box was presented to the Sheriff's Office staff, which contained multiple stuffed toys and animals that Brown had collected and donated.
Stuffed bears are traditional toys that delight the young-at-heart, no matter their age, but these stuffed animals will have a special job.
Brown's donated plushies will stock the patrol cars of Jefferson County's deputies as well as the office of the JCSO's victim advocate.
From there, they will be given to children who are involved in traumatic scenarios in order to help the children find some much-needed comfort in a stuffed friend.
“This will be the first of several to come,” said Arianna's mother, Alicia Brown, adding that this donation project is one of her daughter's way of helping aid her community through service projects. “She's very interested in giving back,” Alicia Brown adds.
“We'll do what we can to help,” added Alicia Brown. “Every kid needs a stuffed animal.”
While the JCSO was the first stop along Arianna Brown's route of donating plush pals, Alicia Brown says that her daughter plans to continue the endeavor and donate more stuffed animals to other first responder and law enforcement agencies.
In the JCSO agency, Sheriff McNeill said that the toys will stock the patrol cars of deputies.
“We appreciate these so much,” said Sheriff McNeill. “I know there will be some children who will definitely appreciate it.”
In addition to the donated plush toys, Arianna Brown extended an invite to Sheriff McNeill to join her movement called “Ari's Angels.”
The movement, started by Brown and her parents, was created to inspire people to Accept others, and be Nice, Giving, Encouraging and Loving (A.N.G.E.Ls).
“Loving is to love others as God loves us,” Arianna Brown adds.
Sheriff McNeill commended Brown on her dedication to community service at a young age.
Arianna Brown is the daughter of Harry and Alicia Brown.
In addition to her stuffed animal donations, Brown plans to create care kits to send to soldiers who are deployed overseas, saying that she was inspired by the fact that her father is a veteran.
Ari hopes to continue spreading love and helping others, as she hopes to be a missionary or teacher when she grows up.
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